Skin biopsy needle



July 25, 1950 H. TURKEL sxm BIOPSY NEEDLE Filed Feb. 9, 1950 IN V EN TOR.

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ATTORNEK Patented July 25 1950 SKINBIOPSYNEEDLE.

Henry Turkel, Detroit; Mich. Application-February 9, 195.0, ,Serial.N0.=14-3;308 1 10"Claiins. l

This inventionrelates to abiopsy needle, and more particularlyto a device for obtaininga skin or superficial biopsy.

Heretofore there have been no practical .cutting, devices for. removing very small samples of skin tissueforzmicroscopic examination, and it isthe principal. object of, this invention toprovide a cutting needle, or combination of I needles by whichea skin biopsy may be obtained with a minimum of discomfort, and with the. minimum injury to the tissue. These and other objects will bezseen from the following specification .and claimsin conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

Fig.1 is a side elevational view of applicants biopsy needle set including an outer guideneedle ai man-inner tissuesevering needle.

Fig. 2 is-an-enlarged elevational section thereof.

Fig. 3 is-asection on line 3.-- 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. .4 isa-sectionv on line, 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig; 5, is aside view of the stylet for the guide needle; and s Fig. 6 is a side view ofthestylet for thetissue severing needle.

Itv will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set out.

Referring. to the drawing, Fig.1 illustrates the hollow tubular needle. II with the integralhandle i2,.its.internal bore being designated at I3 in Fig. 21 The outer end of. said needle has formed thereina plurality of jagged saw-tooth likecutting elements M which are adapte'dupon manual rotation of is'aidneedle to cut out and'define a circular opening in the skin such as designated 'at' A in Fig. '11 Such circular opening thereby limits the extent of'the'skin abrasion from. whichv the biopsy specimen will be removed.

Adjacent the outer cutting end Mguide needle I I there isformedf therein the substantially elliptical cut-away portion or slot which extends downwardly. to approximately one-halfthe diameter of. saidg-uide needle as at l6, and in'some instanceswill extend slightly further to provide alateral opening in saidguide needle from which the biopsy specimen may be manually removed after withdrawal of said guide needle and the inner severing needle hereafter described;

, Cylindricalcollar H with setscrew I8 is slidably and adjustably mounted adjacent the outer end ofguide needle II with the forward portion thereof cooperatively engageable with the skin to thereby limit the extent of penetration of said guide needle into'tlie skin or body.

The severing needle which is adaptedfor removable insertion within the guide needle, ii consists of the preferably hollow tubular shaft at one end, includingftheknurledlportions 21 to facilitate rotary manipulationof, said shaft.

Cylindrical collar.v 22with set. scr.ew 23' is adjustably: mounted luponshaft l 9. for. limiting the inward movement thereof relative to. handle [2 of theguideneedle-and. at .the .same time thereby limiting the extent to Which'theouter sever- -ing porti0n. on saidshaft projects-b'eyond the cutting end. l4 of said guide needle.

oppositely arranged tongues 2d extending .from the forwardly; extended. portion of. collar 22 cooperatively project ,within correspondingly shaped oppositely, I arrangedls'lots, 2.5 Iformed within Thandle. l2; whereby.-manual rotation of. handle 20 of the inner .needle will.effectacorresponding simultaneous .rotationofthe outer. guide needle. I l

Arcuate tissue severing knifeZG with substantially. pointedendil. and sharpened. upper, and loweredges 28 and'29 respectively, projectsfrom the lower endof. tubular. shaft I91 asshown in Figure 2. v

This. arcuate severing portion is substantially semi-circular in shape as shown in Figure 2 with its pointed, end 2] extending to. or slightly beyondthe centrallongitudinalaxis of said shaft,

whereby rotation of said shaft, with saidsevering knife embedded within the tissue, as in Figure 1,-. will sever. a biopsy specimen from the surrounding. tissue.

- It .will. be notedthat. the. tissue severing knife 26; 21,.28, 29 is adaptedto project beyond'the outer. cutting end I 4 of guide needle. I l and the extent.of this projection is. limited by the ad- "justedapositioning, of collar. 22 upon shaft l3.

needle li,-and this defines-the-dimensiontransversely of: the skin biopsy specimen to be removedinasmuchtassaid cutting end [4 by. its shearing, actionperforms. a circular cut.

At. the same: time, the simultaneous. rotation of. shaft l9. rotatesthesevering knife 26 so that upon. one revolutionthereofior more if desired, the substantially cylindrically shaped skin .speci.- men will be completely, cutand. severed fromthe surrounding tissue.

After. the cutting. and. severing operation the [9 tmwhich issecured the operating. handle. 20 uideneedle.andthe-inner. severing needle are simultaneously withdrawn from the skin A, the severing knife portion 26 carrying therewith the small substantially cylindrically shaped skin specimen. v

After withdrawal, the severing blade 26 ismane ually withdrawn a short distance into the interior of guide needle H so that the open portion of severing blade 26 is in substantial alignment with the lateral recess |l6 formedadjacent to the end of guide needle II. in this position the specimen may be manually removed from said severing knife and withdrawn or knocked out through said lateral recess.

Figure 5 illustrates a stylet 30 with handle 3| which is adapted for removable insertion within the guide needle H for cleaning the same, or displacing therefrom any particles of matter which may remain. Furthermore, if desired,-said guide needle may be stored with its stylet inserted therethrough.

Figure 6 illustrates a stylet 32 of cylindrical shape with a handle 33 at one end, being adapted for removable insertion through the handle 28 and the tubular portion I9 of the inner severing for obtaining skin biopsy specimens, it is contemplated also that the same may also be employed for a superficial biopsy, such as from an internal body organ.

In addition, to the cutting function of the teeth Moi guide needle H, said teeth are also adapted to hold the tissue during the severing operation.

It is also contemplated herein that the-severing needle may be used without the guide needle if desired.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

I claim: 7 r

1. A skin biopsy device consisting of ahollow guide needle, a tissue cuttingcircular edge at its outer end, a tubular shaft slidably disposed'within said guide needle, and a pointed arcuate tissue severing knife on the corresponding'outer end of said shaft, projecting beyond said cutting edge,

and adapted upon rotation to sever a cylindrical skin biopsy specimen from the surrounding tissue,

said needle and shaft being adapted forrotation in unison, said knife extending in a substantial semi-circle with its upper and lower edges being sharpened.

2. A skin biopsy device consisting of a hollow guide needle, a tissue cutting circular edge at its outer end, a I tubular shaft slidably disposed within said guide needle, and an arcuate tissue severing knife on the corresponding outer end of said shaft, projecting beyond said cutting edge, and adapted upon rotation to sever acylindrical skin biopsy specimen from the surrounding tissue,

said knife extending in a substantial semi-circle "said knife extendingin a substantial semi-circle With'its outer'end projecting transversely slightly beyond the central axis of said tubular shaft, the upper and lower edges of said knife being sharpened.

4. A skin biopsy device consisting of a hollow guide needle, a tissue cutting circular edge at its outer end, a tubular shaft slidably disposed within said guide needle, and an arcuate tissue severing knife on the corresponding outer end of said shaft, projecting beyond said cutting edge, and adapted upon rotation to sever a cylindrical skin biopsy specimen from the surrounding tissue, said knife extending in a substantial semi-circle with itsouter end projecting transversely slightly beyond the central axis of said tubular shaft, a hollow handle on said guide needle, and a handle upon said shaft for manipulating the same.

5. A skin biopsy device consisting of a hollow guide needle, a tissue cutting circular edge at its outer end, a tubular shaft slidably disposed within said guide needle, and an arcuate tissue severing knife on the corresponding outer end of said shaft, projecting beyond said cutting edge, and adapted upon rotation to sever a cylindrical skin biopsy specimen from the surrounding tissue, said knife extending in a substantial semi-circle with its outer end projecting transversely slightly beyond the central axis of said tubular shaft, a collar adjustably secured upon said guide needle adjacent its cutting end to limit its penetration into the object from which a biopsy specimen is sought.

6. A skin biopsy device consisting of a hollow guide needle, a tissue cutting circular edge at its outer end, a tubular shaft slidably disposed within said guide needle, and an arcuate tissue severing knife on the corresponding outer end of said shaft, projecting beyond said cutting edge, and adapted upon rotation to sever a cylindrical skin biopsy specimen from the surrounding tissue, said knife extending in a substantial semi-circle with its outer end projecting transversely slightly beyond the central axis of said tubular shaft, a hollow handle on said guide needle, a collar adjustably secured upon said shaft adjacent said handle for limiting the extension of said severing knife'beyond the end of said guide needle.

'7. A skin biopsy device consisting of a hollow guide needle, a tissue cutting circular edge at its outer end, a tubular shaft slidably disposed within said guide needle, and an arcuate tissue severing knife on the corresponding outer end of said shaft, projecting beyond said cutting edge, and adapted upon rotation to sever a cylindrical skin biopsy specimen'from the surrounding tissue, said knife extending in a substantial semi-circle with its outer end projecting transversely slightly beyond the central axis of said tubular shaft, a hollow handle on said guide needle, a collar adjustably secured upon said shaft adjacent said handle'for limiting the extension of said knife beyond the end of said guide needle, the inner end of said handle having a transverse groove formed therein, and a correspondingly shaped tongue on said collar cooperatively projecting into said groove, whereby rotation of said shaft will effect corresponding rotation of the cutting edge of said guide needle.

8. A biopsy device consisting of a shaft, and a pointed arcuate tissue severing knife on the outer end of such shaft, adapted upon rotation to sever a cylindrical biopsy specimen from the surrounding tissue, said knife extending in a substantial semi-circle with its upper and lower edges being sharpened.

/ 9. A biopsy device consisting of a Shaft'and an 

